Chapel in Unknown Townland

Wormwood Gate Chapel belonging to the Discalced Carmelites is marked in the NE corner of St. Catherine's parish on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin City. This was a Carmelite foundation (Burke 1974, 85) west of Bridge Street and North of Wormwood Gate (DU018-020029-). The Carmelites at Wormwood Gate, had 'neither confessionals, pews, nor vestry' (ibid., 87). This chapel was described in 1749 as belonging to; 'the barefooted Carmelites, and was fitted up for that use partly at the solicitation of Friar Paul Kenny, the prior thereof, and partly by the benefaction of Mr. Holywood of Artane. It has been rebuilt and repaired by others. The altar piece is a painting of the V.M. giving the Scapular to St. Simon, on whose side stand St. Martin Consinus and St. Angel, Martyr, saints of that Order. On the other side are the Kings, Popes and Cardinals who were friends of this Order. Underneath this picture, paintings of the Crucifixion: on the Epistle side the Ascension, and St. Theresa: on the Gospel side the Assumption and St. John on the Cross. Near the pulpit stands a small altar. There are neither confessionals, pews or vestry, but there are two galleries. The house adjacent lodges five friars, who have no provincial in Ireland, but only a vice-provincial, who may be suspended at the pleasure of the General of the Order' (Donnelly 1904, 16-7). According to Donnelly (1904, 36-7); 'The Discalced Carmelites first came to Ireland in 1626. Whether the Chapel described in the manuscript was the original one of Charles I.'s time or not we cannot say. But we rather think not, especially as their first settlement seems to have been in Hammond Lane on the north side of the river. Their residence in Wormwood Gate would appear, therefore, to date only from 1710 or thereabouts. In 1760 they removed to a small courtway off Lower Stephen's Street, now known as Dawson's Court, and here they remained until 1793, when a plot of ground was purchased for them on the east side of Clarendon Street'. The precise location of this chapel has not been identified. Donnelly, N. 1904 Roman Catholics: state and condition of Roman Catholic chapels in Dublin, both secular and regular AD 1749. Dublin. Burke, N.T. 1974 A hidden church. The structure of Catholic Dublin in the mid-eighteenth century’. Archivium Hibernicum, xxxii, 81–92. See attached section of Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin City which shows the chapel marked with a cross standing on the W side of the parish boundary with St. Audoen's. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 July 2023